In 1941, Speck was born in Kirkwood, Illinois to Benjamin Speck and Mary Carbaugh, religious teetotalers. A teetotaler is someone who is completely abstinent from alcohol and refuses to drink, usually on religious grounds. This alcohol-free, disciplined environment is what Speck grew up with for the first six years of his life before his father […]
Richard Speck: The mass murderer who killed eight nurses Read More »
In the 1970s and 1980s, Los Angeles was home to over 20 serial killers operating within just miles of each other. This left the city gripped in fear as the nicknames that the media sensationalized became recognized by everyone. One of the most famous nicknames was “The Hillside Strangler,” known for strangling his victims and
The Story of the Hillside Stranglers, the Serial Killer Duo Read More »
Easter is primarily known as a Christian celebration that honors the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, not every Easter tradition is strictly Christian. For example, children enjoy the Easter bunny while hunting for colored eggs. How exactly did the eggs become part of the tradition? It has a lot to do with the pagan roots of
The Surprising Examples of Easter’s Pagan Roots Read More »
Punk rock has always been a culture defined by rebellion, anarchy, and defiance. At worst, it can be described as chaotic and messy. At best, it can be described as individualistic and anti-authoritarian. GG Allin, an infamous punk rocker, spent his career leaning more toward the chaotic and messy interpretation. He pushed the boundaries of
GG Allin: The Unhinged Outlaw of Punk Rock Read More »
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith. Beginning in the evening, ten days after the start of the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashanah, the holiday is supposed to be a day of prayer, fasting, forgiveness, and humility for all Jews worldwide. But what exactly is Yom
History and Customs of the Jewish Holiday, Yom Kippur Read More »
It’s not a term that many people today are very familiar with because no one has been exposed to it. But, hundreds and even thousands of years ago, it was, unfortunately, one of the most barbaric and sadistic methods of torture ever imaginable. Keelhauling is a word that in the 1800s would make you shudder
Keelhauling: Taking Punishment to the Extreme Read More »
Anne Frank was one of the most famous diarists in history. She was a Jewish teenager who went into hiding with her family during World War II. Anne kept a diary that detailed her life during the two years they lived in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her diary has become one of the most
Who Was Otto Frank, the Sole Survivor of the Frank Family? Read More »
To be 14 years old means to be young and carefree–or in the case of George Stinney Jr., it meant to be the youngest person in the United States to ever be executed. Making his haunting case even more tragic is the fact that, in the end, George’s conviction was vacated 70 years later. A
George Stinney Jr: Youngest Person to be Executed in the USA Read More »
The phrase has been used hundreds, if not thousands, of times since it was first uttered in horror by Herbert Morrison. This quote has become so ubiquitous with scenes of horrible tragedy and the like that the true origin of it has faded from the mind of the public. But anyone who knows the Hindenburg
“Oh, the humanity!” The Disaster of the Hindenburg Read More »
In the realm of American folk music, no name is more significant than Woody Guthrie. He embodies the American spirit and epitomizes the struggle of the common man in the most trying of times. Songs like, “This Land Is Your Land,” “Don’t Kill My Baby & My Son,” and “I’m Blowing Down That Old Dusty
The Controversial Life of Outspoken Folk Icon, Woody Guthrie Read More »
